New bridge on the Danube in Novi Sad

According to the General Plan prior to year 2021, Novi Sad should have six bridges, and it now has only two permanent bridges and one temporary bridge, which significantly deccelerates traffic and causes numerous problems. For that reason, the city has initiated construction of new bridge and junction accross the Danube alongsite the route of former railway tracks with the tunnel underneath the Petrovaradin fortress, from Preradovićeva Street in Petrovaradin to Cara Lazara Boulevard in Novi Sad - the Mayor of Novi Sad, Igor Pavličić, explained and added that the construction of that bridge would commence at the beginning of year 2010.

The first city bridge, which will be built on the pillars of former railway bridge Franc Jozef, is currently in the phase when the preliminary project and necessary studies are being designed, and the job has been entrusted to the consortium of companies "Ponting" Maribor, "DDC" Ljubljana and Road Center of Vojvodina Novi Sad.

(Igor Pavličić)

- The new junction will significantly reduce the number of vehicles in the very center of the city. In that way, the level of road safety will be increased- said Pavličić on the occasion of presentation of the project for new bridge at the meeting of Slovenian business club, which was held in Master Center of the Novi Sad Trade Fair.

According to the winning preliminary solution, the width of the bridge will be 23 meters, similar to the width of the Freedom Bridge, while the span will amount to 170 m. The access interchange cloverleaf from the side of Novi Sad will be built in the way to enable undisturbed traffic flow. The tunnel will be moved a bit to the right in order for the looks of the Petrovaradin fortress to be preserved, along with the rock beneath it, and that will be the task of main architect.

According to earlier announcements by Mayor Pavličić, the funds for drawing of plans for the bridge have been provided from the budget of city of Novi Sad, while the construction works will be paid within the next four years, partially from the budget, partially from the Provincial Capital Investments Fund, and partially from the sale of NIS.

There is a need for connection of left bank and right bank of the Danube in Novi Sad, as well as the necessity for protection of the Petrovaradin fortress and its substructure. The solution has been found in the relocation of junctions from Beogradska Street and part of Preradovićeva Street in Petrovaradin, which requires establishment of new traffic corridor between the two banks and two parts of Novi Sad.

A bit of history

At the beginning of the 19th century, pedestrian and car traffic between Novi Sad's side and Srem's side was carried out accross a pontoon bridge that was run by the Army. Novi Sad got its first bridge on pillars, of which architect was Karlo Bauman, with the construction of Budapest-Zemun railway in 1883.

The architectural solution of the bridge was shaped like an extended meshy beam, 432 meters long, with railway and pedestrian track, and it was later adapted for car traffic. The bridge lied on 6 pillars, four of which were in the water, while two were on the banks. The tunnel 361 meters long was built underneath the Petrovaradin fortress, while railway station Petrovaradin-Danube was built few hundreds meters away from that spot. The bridge was torn down at the beginning of 1941, it was refurbished during the War, and it was demolished again in 1944. There are only pillars left on that place now.